sell: [OE] The underlying etymological meaning of sell is ‘give up, hand over’, but gradually the notion of handing something over in exchange for something else, particularly money, led to its present-day sense. Both meanings co-existed in Old English, but the original one had largely died out by the 14th century. The word comes from a prehistoric Germanic *saljan, which also produced Swedish sälga and Danish sælge ‘sell’. The noun sale is a product of the same base. => sale
sell (v.)
Old English sellan "to give, furnish, supply, lend; surrender, give up; deliver to; promise," from Proto-Germanic *saljan "offer up, deliver" (cognates: Old Norse selja "to hand over, deliver, sell;" Old Frisian sella, Old High German sellen "to give, hand over, sell;" Gothic saljan "to offer a sacrifice"), ultimately from PIE root *sel- (3) "to take, grasp."
Meaning "to give up for money" had emerged by c. 1000, but in Chaucer selle still can mean "to give." Students of Old English learn early that the word that looks like sell usually means "give." An Old English word for "to sell" was bebycgan, from bycgan "to buy."
Slang meaning "to swindle" is from 1590s. The noun phrase hard sell is recorded from 1952. To sell one's soul is from c. 1570. Sell-by date is from 1972. To sell like hot cakes is from 1839. Selling-point attested from 1959.
To sell (someone) down the river figuratively is by 1927, probably from or with recollection of slavery days, on notion of sale from the Upper South to the cotton plantations of the Deep South (attested in this literal sense since 1851).
双语例句
1. The programme of sell-offs has been implemented by the new chief executive.
新任总裁已经执行了抛售方案。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Any property which does not sell within six weeks is overpriced.
任何房产如果6周内还卖不出去就说明定价过高。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I think more customers probably prefer a soft sell.
我认为更多的顾客也许更喜欢软性推销。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The publisher expected the book to sell 1,500 copies, tops.
出版商预计该书至多能卖出1,500本。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Across the busy plaza, vendors sell hot dogs and croissant sandwiches.